Alleviating unemployment through Sports BY KENNETH JUDE

There is no gain saying the fact that  sports and all it entails is a money-spinner. In our contemporary society, few parents would whip their wards for showing uncommon aptitude for any of the litany of sports that exist in our time.
 

Today, the prevailing fad of yore where parents descended on their child (ren) who play either football, table tennis, badminton, volleyball and the likes has long panned into oblivion. There have been instances where some parents have had to persuade and encourage any of their children to embrace sports vis-à-vis his area of expertise. Parents of such child (ren) who take to any sports of their choice are given all the support there is for them to make the needed headway in their chosen field of endeavour. 

Even families who fall within the low income bracket suddenly cough out cash to finance the growth of their ward(s). They dig deep and go any length to see that their ward(s) excel in life. In a desperate bid to have their ward(s) succeed in the game, some of them have taken up the mantle of being both the managers and agents of their sports-loving kids ostensibly to keep them away from the prying eyes of shylock agents who have overtime put the future of many budding talents in jeopardy through the dubious and fraudulent deals they enter into with their so-called foreign clubs.

Between Ahmed Musa and Ejike Uzoenyi

Ahmed Musa and new comeback wonder sensation, Chrisantus Ejike Uzoenyi are obviously Nigeria’s hottest wingers at the moment and as the race to be among Nigeria’s 24 man squad at the World Cup intensifies coach Stephen Keshi’s options on the need for the team to re-position on wing play may be expendiry.
Over the years, the strength of Nigerian senior football team have always been focused primarily on wing play as the Green Eagles or the Super Eagles have featured several dazzling wingers like Segun “Mathematical” Odegbami, Humphrey Edobor, Adokie Amasieamaka, Finidi George, Pius Ikedia, Dominic Iorfa, just to mention a few.

Despite the challenges of discovery of new wingers which led to most foreign gaffers of the national team playing up a crowded midfield pattern, the Eagles have remained strong whenever they play their traditional 4-4-2 system which allows effective wing play for the strikers to get the job done at the other end.

Keshi’s wake up call

 

Finally, it took a ten man Black Stars of Ghana to ensure that Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi and millions of soccer crazy Nigerians face the reality of the task that will face the national team at the World Cup in Brazil this summer.

Keshi’s reign as national team coach has been terrific and rewarding as he has met the targets so far given to him by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), while we wait for his semi final shot at the World Cup, but his methods, tactical approach during matches have left yours sincerely and other objective minded fans on his capacity to lead the Nigerian senior team to any meaningful success at the World Cup.

The just concluded Championship of African Nations (CHAN) has finally exposed Keshi’s limitations technically and tactically with his bunch of clueless home-lads who mostly failed to express any content on why they were in South Africa.
It’s been a long while Nigerians watched their national team without confidence.